KUCHING: The Sarawak government has allocated RM6.5 million to build a mosque at Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) here.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the government has agreed to build the Masjid Al-Mushtasfa for the convenience of patients and staffs to perform prayers.
“The hospital director, Dr Ngian Hie Ung together with the Ministry of Health has met up with me and voice out on the hospital prayer room that are not too convenient.
“And when SGH Masjid Al Mushtasfa Development Committee chairman Dr. Nik Azim Nik Abdullah proposed to upgrade the prayer room, I asked how much their estimation is for building the mosque, and they said about RM6.5 million.
“Alhamdullilah, with our state revenues performance that has increased, I said okay, we build this mosque with RM6.5 million fund, allocated by the state government,” he said during the Makan Malam Juh Berjarah Raya Hospital Umum Sarawak at Dewan Kompleks Islam here on Saturday night.
Abang Johari said with the facility, Muslim could perform fardu kifayah (communal obligation).
“Secondly to serve as a place of worship for the Muslim patients and thirdly, to fulfill the needs in providing comfortable space for corpse (jenazah) management,” he said.
Abang Johari also said that he has asked Unit for Other Religions (Unifor) to provide a prayer room in the hospital for those of other faiths.
“Therefore, through Unifor, the state government will also allocate some fund, about RM600,000, which has been suggested by the hospital to upgrade some space for prayer activity of other religions,” he added.
At the event, Abang Johari handed over a cheque from the Sarawak government for the construction of Masjid Al-Mushtasfa. He also announced a government grant of RM50,000 towards the SGH Medical Welfare Fund for the welfare of patients in the hospital.
